The Gambler

Reading stories like this make me think we’ve got a lot more Charles Barkleys coming down the pike. NBA players like to gamble on team flights. But its getting so out of hand… some coaches have had to step in and put a stop to it.

Our man Paul Pierce… is apparently one of the biggest gamblers out there.

Paul Pierce creates his own terror at altitude with the Celtics.

“I mean Paul, obviously, played more aggressive than anybody else at that table,” says Los Angeles Clippers guard Dan Dickau, a former Celtic, “because $100 to him wasn’t a lot of money.”

So Paul takes money from guys on the team plane. I’m betting some of Rajon Rondo’s money ended up in Paul’s pockets. But Rajon should feel good about losing his money to The Truth. He could have been gambling with Charles Oakley.

Legendary in NBA circles is the spat between retired power forwards Charles Oakley and Tyrone Hill over a dice game in 1999. Hill lost $54,000. He didn’t pay quickly enough for Oakley’s tastes. Interest was demanded. Finally, $108,000 later, contentiousness that had spilled over to the court ceased

The gambling can even explain why some guys go into a funk.

“About 10 years ago,” Pat Riley says, “there was a game on a plane when I was in New York, and I felt in that game that night one of the players really got hurt, financially. I know how he was with money, and I think it bothered him in the next game. If I ever felt the games got out of hand, really out of hand, and guys were taking things personally, I’d put a stop to ’em.”

I love this stuff… because there is absolutely no doubt I’d be one of these guys. I’d have to get a max contract just to break even on my losses. I’d make Barkley’s outings looking church bingo night.